Bellefonte looks to win third straight as Red Raiders face Richland
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BELLEFONTE - Coming off back-to-back wins to close out Centre County play, Bellefonte football heads into Week 8 with a lot of momentum. Whether or not that aids it in a tough matchup against undefeated Richland (7-0) remains to be seen. But it's certainly raised its odds in recent weeks.
The Red Raiders' most recent showing saw their defense continue to lead the way, as they held a thriving Philipsburg-Osceola offense to six points and less than 120 yards in a 14-6 win.
They knocked the Mounties' average rushing yards per game down from 229 to 207, keeping them under three yards per carry on 29 attempts and holding one of the more prolific rushers in the Laurel Highlands - Damarcus Law - to 37 yards. And passing wise, they allowed one completion on nine passes.
Offensively, Bellefonte (4-3) kept the turnovers to a minimum and notched touchdowns in the first and second quarter. Alten Howell completed 78 percent of his passes and logged a rushing touchdown, and Ashten Howell turned 19 touches into 105 yards and a score. And for a fourth straight game, Parker Jodon surpassed 50 offense yards.
While the offense quieted down in the second half, both units had an impact on last Friday's win. In order to down a top five team in Class AA and the top team in the Laurel Highlands, the Red Raiders will need a similar level of success on both ends - likely more.
Through seven games, Richland has outscored its opponents by an average of 18.5 points, and that isn't a matter of playing an easy schedule either. It's responsible for both Central Cambria and Bishop McCort's lone losses on the season, the latter which beat Bellefonte 35-0 back in Week 3.
That success is led by a balanced offense and a defense that's giving up less than 14 points per game. Offensively, the Dragons average nearly 400 yards per game - 223 through the air and 166 on the ground. And defensively, they've amassed 41.5 tackles for loss, ten sacks and 13 turnovers.
The Richland offense is led by junior quarterback Jacob Regan, who enters Friday's contest with over 1,500 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions on a completion percentage of 60 percent. He also averages over five yards per rush on 62 attempts.
Three Dragons - Jamere Christian, Arnold Mugerwa and Alex Bond - have over 300 receiving yards, with Christian amassing 588 on a team-leading 36 receptions and Mugerwa leading the team with seven touchdowns. Six have logged a rushing touchdown, and senior Grayson Mahla leads their rushing attack with 401 yards and four scores.
Christian adds three interceptions on the defensive end, and Bond has two while leading the team in tackles with 59. Chase Tresnicky and Ashton Roberts combine for 12.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, and Mahla makes two Dragons with over 50 tackles on the season with 51.
All those factors present a challenge as Bellefonte looks to earn its third straight win. But considering last year's matchup came down to the wire, ending in a 33-29 loss, it's proven it has the potential to pull off the upset.